


Keep Calm and Eat Popcorn

by Lunar_Iris



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, America is a Dork (Hetalia), M/M, Movie Theatre AU, Short Short, excessive movie snacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 12:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14748567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunar_Iris/pseuds/Lunar_Iris
Summary: Based on the tumblr prompt “i work at a movie theatre and i’m cleaning up after the movie is over and you’re the only person left because you’re ugly crying with popcorn over your lap” AU.





	Keep Calm and Eat Popcorn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fire_Bear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/gifts).



The closing theme built as the credits came to painfully long conclusion. It seemed they were getting longer all the time. The cacophonous thrumming assaulted Arthur's ear-drums. No need to count the seconds until the end of the credits. Even with a glance up at the screen, he couldn't recall what film was playing in that particular theatre. He picked up his pace, clearing rubbish left by moviegoers. The megaplex could keep their crummy job, he muttered, but he really needed it to pay his bills. At least, he didn't have to sit through the films.

Just a few more rows left. These should be easy; only couples sat way up there who weren't really at the theatre for viewing, only pleasure.

Arthur glanced back to see the last of the credits scroll up.

Almost done.

The music stopped, and the rest of the house lights came on. He only had a few minutes to finish and dash to the management office to clock out. 

He took care of the right side and worked his way across the theatre. This wouldn't be so hard if his partner would just join him with the cleaning, instead of holing himself back in the booth. He grumbled and fought with his rubbish cart, yanking the edge of the liner down again where it caught on the edge of the end-seat arm.

_Crunch, crunch, sob, crunch, crunch._

There couldn't still be anyone here. He had checked the whole theatre. 

Arthur glanced down the last row of seats that lined the wall. There, right dead center sat a young man, his blonde hair falling over his eyes as leaned over his extra large tub of popcorn and shoveled in another handful.

_Crunch, crunch, sob crunch, crunch._

And he was weeping. Over his popcorn.

Arthur cleared his throat.

The young man started, his head whipping up toward Arthur. His blue eyes were red-rimmed and bright with tears that had streamed down his face.

“I'm very sorry, but however moved you were by the movie, I must ask you to vacate the theatre. I have to finish cleaning it for the next showing, and you can't be here.”

“Oh my god!” He bolted from the seat, nearly sending his popcorn container flying, but Arthur grabbed it and the man's large soda cup and disposed of them. 

“Let me take care of these for you?” Arthur eyed the seat next to the young man and made quick work of disposing of a collection of candy wrappers.

“I'm really so, so sorry! This movie always makes me such a wreck!”

“It's quite alright.”

“Thanks,” he sniffled.

“So the film was that depressing. To make a grown man cry.”

“Awe come on. Have a heart! It's hella intense!” He wiped his eyes on his hoodie-sleeve and his nose on a napkin he still had clinched in his hand, and he seemed to recover.

“I hadn't known a superhero film to have that effect on people before.” Arthur did his best to stifle a chuckle.

“But it's Captain America! I mean the action was like this frenzy. A clash of ideologies and fists!” He waxed on. “I'm just never prepared for this jackhammer emotional intensity.” And, he waxed on.

“I'm really very sorry, um--”

“Alfred! The name's Alfred!”

“Please to meet you. I'm Arthur.”

“Great to meeet'cha, Arthur!” 

“Glad you think so, anyway.”

Alfred was very exuberant now. Very suddenly. After he had just been sniveling over his popcorn. 

“You're very excited about this film.”

“Hell yeah!”

“Yes, right. With your enthusiasm for the film I'm surprised you didn't see it when it was first released.” 

“Oh, I did,” he said with a brief shrug of his shoulders. “I have a Megaplex pass. You work here! You must have seen this movie a dozen of times by now just like me!” Alfred grinned.

“Well, I haven't really seen it the whole way through.”

“What!?” Alfred's blanched. “How can you work at a theatre and say that?!”

“Right. Exactly.” He scratched his head. “Alfred. I'm sorry, but you still need to leave.”

“Oh right!” He grabbed up his coat and another empty tub of popcorn.

“The theatre needs to be empty for the next showing and it's time for my lunch.”

“That's awesome!”

“What?!” Arthur stepped back more out of shock than to left Alfred through to the aisle. 

Alfred took him by the arm and moved to step down toward the exit. “I can take you to lunch and tell you all about it!”

“But you just ate...” Arthur began to say.

“The final battle is moving because there is way more plot than any single film could hope to contain.”  
Arthur was a student of fine literature and a compelling plot was enough to fuel his interest. Alfred continued on, dragging Arthur and his cart to the exit.

“Just let me go by management office to clock out, and I'll be right back,” he said.

But, Alfred talked on and on, with his hand still affixed to Arthur's bicep. It was very interesting how he knew the way to the management office, without Arthur's guidance. 

“To really grasp what’s at stake, you need to watch four more movies in addition to this one! Of course, the comics are even better! But that's kinda beside the point for the sake discussion.”

He would let this effervescent, compelling stranger take him to dinner, and see how convincing he was. Arthur was not the biggest fan of superhero films, but if it had any sort of literary context, he could surely put that knowledge to good use, perhaps fine-tune his graduate thesis. Have a study subject even.

Mostly, he was curious how one person could possibly eat so much and look so sinewy through baggy jeans and a heavy-winter hoodie, which, now that Arthur had given Alfred a once over as they walked the hallway, was emblazoned with the film protagonist's iconic shield. How fitting.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my tumblr as a gift for Fire_Bear for being an amazing writer, and randomly reblogging an AU prompt. I had written a short, short fic on it months ago and somehow forgot about it, even though I am oddly proud of it. Go figure.
> 
> In case anyone was wondering about the tag, short-short is a fic between 500 - 1000 words.


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